The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

by Mark Twain

"The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" by Mark Twain is a satirical novella first published in 1899. When a mysterious stranger leaves a sack of gold in the famously incorruptible town of Hadleyburg, he sets an elaborate trap to expose the citizens' true nature. Nineteen prominent couples fall for his scheme, claiming a reward based on false pretenses. Their dishonesty unravels at a public meeting, revealing that a reputation for virtue means little when tested by real temptation.